West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-06-17
DICKENS.
Some of the Peculiarities of the Great
Novelist.

His punctuality was remarkable
characteristic, and visitors used to
wonder how it was that everything
was done to the very minute, writes
Miss Mamie Dickens, in the Youths
Companion. 1t is a common saying
now in the family Of some dear
friends, where punctuahty is not
quite so well observed; What would
Mr.. Dickens have said to this?" or
"Ah, my dear child, | wish You could
have been at Gad's Hill to learn
what punctuality means" He was
very fond of music. but not of "class-
icaw music only. He loved national
airs, old tunes, songs aud ballads.
lie was easily moved hy anything
pathetic in a song or tune, ana was
never tired ui hearing his particular
favoriteS sung or played. He liked
to have music of an evening, and
duets used to be played very often
for hours together, while he would
read or walk up and down the room.
There was a large meadow at the
back of the garden IN which, during
the summer time. many cricket
matches were held. Although never
PLAYING himself Charles Dickens
delighted in the game, and would
sit in his tent, keeping score for one
side, the whole day long, He never
took to croquet, but had lawn tennis
been played in the Gad's Hill days,
he would certainly have enjoyed this
game. He liked American bowls"
at which he used constantly to play
with his male guests. For one Of
his Improvements" he had turned
waste piece of land into 4 croquet
ground and bowling green. In the
meadow he used also to practice
many of his readings and any
stranger passing down the lane and
seeing him gestIculating and hear
ing him talking, laughing and some.
times, it may be, weeping, surely
would have thought him out of his
mind! The getting up of those
readings" gave him an immense
amount of labor and fatigue, and
sorrowful parts tried him greatly.
For instance, the reading of "Lit-
tie Dombey." it was hard for him to
steel his heart as to be able to read
the death without breaking down or
displaying TOO much emotion. He
often told how much he suffered over
this story, and how it would have
been impossible for him to have gone
through with it had he not kept con-
stantlv before his eyes the picture
Of his own "Plorn," alive and strong
and well.
His great neatness and tldiness
were remarkable, rs also his wonder
ful sense of order. The first thing
he did every morning, before going
to work. was to make a circuit Of
the garden, and then to 60 over the
whole house to see that everything
was in it's place, neat and orderly.
This was also the first thing he
did upon his return home, after any
absence. A more thoroughly order
Is nature never existed. 1t must
have been through this gift of order
that he was enabled to make time,
Notwithstanding any amount of
work, to give to the minutest house
hold details. Before q dinner party
the menu was always submitted to
him for approval, and he always
made a neat little plan of the table
with the names Of guests marked in
their respective places, and Il list of
who was to take who in to dinner.
He had constantly some bright
idea or other as to the arrangement
of the table OF rooms.
He had strange aversion to say
ing goodbye, and would do any
thing he possibly could TO avoid
going through the ordeal.
In a letter to 4 friend Charles
Dickens writes: Another genera
ticn begin to peep above the table.
| once used to think what a horrible
thing it was to be grandfather.
Finding that the calamity falls upon
me without perceiving any other
change in myself, | bear it like a
man"
But rs he so disliked the name of
grandfather as applied to himself,
these grandchildren were taught by
han to call him "Venerables." And
to this day some of them still speak
of him by his self-invented name.
Now. there is another and younger
family who never knew "Venera-
bleS," but who are taught.to know
his books through the pictures in
them. as soon as they can be taught
anything, and whose baby hands lay
bright flowers upon the stone in
Westminster Abbey every 9th of